Folding coop.



G. 'D. GODWIN;

FOLDING COOP.

APPucmon FILED APR. H. 19H.

Patented Mar. 19, 191&

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FOLDING COOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I4- I91].

I Patented Mar. 19, 191 8.

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.ITED STATES PATENT onriou. A

GILLAM n. eonwm, or WADE, nonrn CAROLINA.

FOLDING COOP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILLAM D. Goowm, a citizen of the United States, residing at /Vade, in the county of Cumberland and State of North Carolina, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Coops, of which-thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and-useful improvement in crates or coops and espe ciallyto a folding coop that is used for shipping chickens, ducks or other fowls.

An object ofmy invention is to provide a coop that may be folded when empty so as to take up a minimum amount of space.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a coop wherein the same may be quickly and readily opened or put in its set up position.

Also, after having manually forced the sides tightly against the ends, by tightening one screw at each end of the coop the top will be drawn toward the bottom so that when the coop is in its open or final position, the entire structure will be held firmly and strongly together. 7

Still another object of my invention is to so provide the ends that water may quickly drain off with any refuse when the crate is washed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a fastening means that is exceedingly simple wherein afterall .of the parts of the crate are drawn together, the locking means will firmly hold the said parts in their fixed position. 1

Still another object of my invention is to provide a crate that will be relatively cheap to manufacture, easy to construct, taking up relatively small space when folded and having but few parts for locking the crate when in its open position. 7

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the-drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coop in its open or set up position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation inthe same position. Fig. 3 1s a similar view, but the coop 1n 7 this instance is in itsfolded or closed position. i

its open or set up position.

' through a portion of the coop.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the coop in Specification of Iietterslatent. j P t nted Mar. 19, 1918. Application filed April 14, 1917. Serial No. 161,979.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

s Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view Referring now to the drawings it willbe seen that the folding coop comprises a bottom 1, which is shown as rectangularrand to which are fastened the side strips 2 and which, as shown, extend for a relatively short distance-from the bottom. Tothese side strips 2 and 3 are fastened-tho side walls l which are hin ed preferably on their inner surface, and the said walls are designed to fold inwardly. On the inner side near the top of these side walls arehinged the two halves of the top 5, the position oft-he hinges being such that these top portions are flush with the upper edgesof the side walls.

Secured at the opposite ends of the bottom it 1 are the two folding end walls 6 which are also hinged to fold inwardly and rest on the "bottom portion 1. 'Theheight of the side strips 2 and 3 is such that when the top portions 5 are-folded downwardly on the side walls 4 and the side walls 4 folded inwardly,

[they may rest snugly on the upper surface of the end walls Gand be supported thereby so'that there is no strain on the hinges that fasten the side walls to the side strips.

So far the coop might be considered a conventionalone'.

It is to benoticed however that the end walls 6 have cut out portions in their lower surface at their ends 7 so that when these end walls are in their upright position the whole lower surface of the end wall is not in contact with the upper surface of thebottom 1, but simply a central portion thereof, so that any water that is thrown or directed into the coop may easily run out of these cutout portions 7, at each end of the coop. In other words the coop may be easily washed or drainedand even while in transportation the water cannot collect in the bottom but will immediately run off as desired.

I have also shown reinforcing strips 8 extending across the bottom on its under surface.

Referring now to the locking means which 7 forms a very importantpart ofmy invention and whichis shown in detail in Fig. 6,

it will be seen that a metal strap 9 is pivotother desirable means, and the said strap 9 extends over and slightly beyond the edge of the other top portion 5. Secured directly I lower end and a stop 14 near the center thereof, so that the same, when outof engagement with the threads in the upper socket-11, cannot in any way become lost or jarred from out ofits position in the end wall 6. The strap 9 is provided with an opening 15 so that the screw 12 may pass therethrough.

By looking meansof this type which may be clearly understood from Figs. 2 and 6, it

will be seen that after the coop is opened up, that is the side walls are raised and the top portions opened out and the end walls lifted to their vertical position, the strap 9 is swung so that the opening 15 will come directly under the opening in the socket 11 and the screw 12 is then pushed upwardly through the said opening 15, and screwed into threaded engagement with the socket 1-1. The opening 15 in the said strap will be so placed-that before it comes in alinement with the opening of the socket 11, it

will be necessaryto'force the side walls of the crate together as tightly as possible' This then holdsthe side walls t tightly against the end walls 6 and by tightening up on the knurled head 13, the screw 12 being in threaded engagement with the socket 11, the top portions 5 are drawn down tightly against the end walls 6, thereby connecting the bottom 1 and the top portions together. In other words, the whole crate,

that is the top and bottom, side and end walls, are held tightly together by forcing Copies of this patent may be obtained for the screw 12 through the opening 15 in the strap 9 and the parts are kept in this position by holding the screw by the thumb nut 13.

"A door 16 may be formed in the top of the crate and screw eyes or other fastenmg thumb nut 13 which will cause the screw 12 to leave its socket 11 and the strap 9 may then be folded back and the end walls shut down, the top portions folded back on the side portions and the side portions in turn folded inwardly, so that the top portions and side portions will rest on said end walls,

which rest on the bottom 1.

If desired lugs or screw eyes or other fastening means may be used as 17, through which a wire may be placed to hold the side walls together when the crate isin its closed position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the crate or coop is one that is easy to construct, and that by providing a fastening means as hereinbefore described, the coop, when in its set up position, may be iirmly secured or in other words, have all its parts tightly drawn together,

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is A coop comprising a bottom panel, strips secured to the edges thereof, end panels hinged thereto, side panels hinged to the strips, top panels hinged to the side panels,

.a strap secured to one of the top panels, a

socket member mounted in the other top panel and a screw passing-through the end panel and the strap and detachably engaging the socket member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GILLAM D. GODl/VIN.

five cents each, 'oy addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.? 

